IDM Mailing Archive

2000-07-18 14:48Irene McCHave any of you listened to Sofa Surfers' new release "CARGO"? I have their previous album

From:: Irene McC <substar@iafrica.com>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 16:48:27 +0200
Subject:: [idm] sofa surfers

Have any of you listened to Sofa Surfers' new release "CARGO"? I have their previous album (Transit) which is so-so dubby stuff and took as listen in-store to Cargo today - can't quite make up my mind whether I want it or not, so here's my plea for 2nd opinions :-) It seems more dark and dirty and downtempo than the first one. It's on the German label Klein and namechecks Mego, G-Stone, Cheap, etc. etc. etc. on the inner sleeve. ie. it *says* all the right things, but I don't know how much mileage I'll get from it. Also took a chug through a mid-priced double compilation album titled "Fusion" with lots of never-heard-ofs as well as Moby, Fila B, Kid Loco etc. Sounded like there were some okay tracks on it, but I didn't have lots of time. Thank you for any helpful comments. I * --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

2000-07-18 15:11John Bush> Have any of you listened to Sofa Surfers' new release "CARGO"? I just borrowed a friend'

From:: John Bush <johbus@allmusic.com>
To:: Irene McC <substar@iafrica.com>, <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 11:11:28 -0400
Subject:: RE: [idm] sofa surfers
Reply to:: [idm] sofa surfers

quoted 1 line Have any of you listened to Sofa Surfers' new release "CARGO"?

> Have any of you listened to Sofa Surfers' new release "CARGO"?

I just borrowed a friend's copy last week and loved it -- of course, I didn't pay for it, so that may make a bit of difference. Here's the review I wrote: "Cargo" is a set of menacing, dusty trip-hop jams, an aesthetic completely in keeping with the accompanying booklet's images of a construction site at night. This German quartet -- influenced by dub, acid jazz, and Kraut-rock in equal amounts -- construct their own beatscapes with dark (usually live) beats and deep, dubby basslines. The result is a half-live, half-programmed sound that's often more reminiscent of Primal Scream (circa "Vanishing Point") than Sofa Surfers' nominal compatriots in the German electronics scene. On the opener, "Container," a heavily mic'ed dub drumkit sets the stage for several minutes of excellent distorted funk, while the group crank it up higher yet for the second track ("Beans & Rice"), with guest vocalist Singing Bird chatting freestyle over a beat-crazy production. It's clear that Sofa Surfers concentrate on the transitional flow between tracks (most are uninterrupted) just as much as the tracks themselves, making "Cargo" a sleek album that hangs together well and hits many peaks. ~ John Bush .John. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

2000-07-18 15:35Luis MartaSofa Surfers are from Vienna, Austria, not Germany. I liked "Cargo" a lot. It's a sort of

From:: Luis Marta <lmarta@fccn.pt>
To:: John Bush <johbus@allmusic.com>, Irene McC <substar@iafrica.com>, <idm@hyperreal.org>
Date:: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 16:35:05 +0100
Subject:: Re: [idm] sofa surfers

Sofa Surfers are from Vienna, Austria, not Germany. I liked "Cargo" a lot. It's a sort of dub/raggae/dark trip-hop/rock with disturbing industrial sounds on the back. Not as varied as the previous release, "Transit", but more coherent and solid as an album. I'm going to see them live in August, in the Paredes de Coura Festival, north Portugal. (lucky me) Well, i bought it and i am not sorry at all ;) Luis Marta. ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Bush" <johbus@allmusic.com> To: "Irene McC" <substar@iafrica.com>; <idm@hyperreal.org> Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2000 4:11 PM Subject: RE: [idm] sofa surfers

quoted 4 lines Have any of you listened to Sofa Surfers' new release "CARGO"?

> > Have any of you listened to Sofa Surfers' new release "CARGO"? > > I just borrowed a friend's copy last week and loved it -- of course, I > didn't pay for it, so that may make a bit of difference. Here's the

review

quoted 4 lines I wrote:

> I wrote: > > "Cargo" is a set of menacing, dusty trip-hop jams, an aesthetic completely > in keeping with the accompanying booklet's images of a construction site

quoted 2 lines night. This German quartet -- influenced by dub, acid jazz, and Kraut-rock

> night. This German quartet -- influenced by dub, acid jazz, and Kraut-rock > in equal amounts -- construct their own beatscapes with dark (usually

live)

quoted 1 line beats and deep, dubby basslines. The result is a half-live,

> beats and deep, dubby basslines. The result is a half-live,

half-programmed

quoted 4 lines sound that's often more reminiscent of Primal Scream (circa "Vanishing

> sound that's often more reminiscent of Primal Scream (circa "Vanishing > Point") than Sofa Surfers' nominal compatriots in the German electronics > scene. On the opener, "Container," a heavily mic'ed dub drumkit sets the > stage for several minutes of excellent distorted funk, while the group

crank

quoted 1 line it up higher yet for the second track ("Beans & Rice"), with guest

> it up higher yet for the second track ("Beans & Rice"), with guest

vocalist

quoted 2 lines Singing Bird chatting freestyle over a beat-crazy production. It's clear

> Singing Bird chatting freestyle over a beat-crazy production. It's clear > that Sofa Surfers concentrate on the transitional flow between tracks

(most

quoted 13 lines are uninterrupted) just as much as the tracks themselves, making "Cargo" a

> are uninterrupted) just as much as the tracks themselves, making "Cargo" a > sleek album that hangs together well and hits many peaks. ~ John Bush > > > .John. > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org > >

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